Deskscape acting as a serous viral infection

Repeatedly opening URL "https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/" in neew tabs of every open browser

https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/
from Stardock Forums

I purchased Deskscape a few days ago and, as is typical of Stardock, the product was not ready for a commercial purchase. Instead, as usual, Stardock expected the consumer to pay them to work for them providing debugging services, something that they should be clearly paying qualified personnel to do prior to offering the product for sale. Nonetheless, I purchased their product. In the first few days, I discovered several flaws in their product and opened a ticket on it. Today, much more serious issues have arisen! Now, their product is acting like a very serious viral infection.

Here's what happened. I was gone for a couple of hours this morning. Firefox and Google Chrome were both open on my desktop when I left, and neither had any page relating to Stardock or Deskscape open. When I came hope, Firefox had 15 pages with the URL https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/ open. Chrome had more than 20 such pages. (I stopped counting at 20 and used Task Manager to close them all.( Neither I nor anyone in my household had opened these paes. After closing these pages, I found a link on the Stardock site to a tool to "purge" Deskscape. I downloaded it and ran it as an administrator as instructed to do. Apparently, that did little. The "Dream" wallpaper that I had on my desktop (Deep Space by Cyberslober) remained on my desktop by the animation stopped. It also launched the DeskScape 8 Configuration dialog box. The area where thumbnails of available wallpapers appeared totally white and there appeared to be no buttons, just white space. However, when I ran my mouse over those area, the contents displayed. Despite causing numerous explorer crashes in the process, it appears the Deskscape app is fully functional after running their "purge" utility as administrator. By the way all menu and context menu entries of DeskScape remain.

As I said, this is acting like a serious viral infection.Malwarebytes doesn't report any threats, but this virus may be too new for it to catch it. Has anyone else been caught up in this kind of activity on the part of this software? If so, what steps have you taken.

I use this computer very heavily in my business. Needless to say, if I experience any downtime at all (as I have already done), I will need to seek reimbursement from Stardock whether by request or legal action.

What a disgusting way to start my day!

deskscapes
27,161 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

LarryTX,

While I am sorry to hear your initial install experience was poor (and the details of it a mystery to us as well), are there any remaining issues we need to help you address?

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

I had put three issues in the ticket that I opened. I'm not sure if I want to deal with them now with the current state of affairs, but here they are:

  1. The functionality of Deskscape is erratic at best. I can launch it, and periodically, it will just shut down leaving me with the original Windows wallpaper. Most often this happens when the screensaver kicks in and the monitors shut off. However, sometimes it happens with no apparent cause.
  2. Like virtually everyone today, I have dual monitors. The "Dream" wallpapers simply duplicate on each monitor. I couldn't find any with a panoramic image that stretches across both monitors (rather than repeating). For a paid desktop wallpapers, I would expect such.
  3. When I reboot my computer, Deskscape is not part of the Windows Startup group. In combination with Item 1, it means that I'm eternally restarting Deskscape.

 

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting LarryTX, reply 2

When I reboot my computer, Deskscape is not part of the Windows Startup group. In combination with Item 1, it means that I'm eternally restarting Deskscape.

Ensure that the service is running and set to 'automatic'

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

First of all, Item 1 would not be associated with Desksacpe eernally restating. First note that I stated, "it will just shut down leaving me with the original Windows wallpaper. Most often this happens when the screensaver kicks in and the monitors shut off. However, sometimes it happens with no apparent cause." Thus, I reemphasize, it is not always associated with the monitors timing out. Maybe 50% of the time, at most. In addition, my computer is set in power management to never, ever hibernate or sleep. Unless I deliberately shut the power to the machine off, there is never any reason for any app or service to restart,  Secondly,  I have tried exiting Desksape, and the behavior continues. (Any, well-designed application should shut down, including all related services, when a use right-clicks the app in the system tray and selects exit.) Finally and most important, if any application is going to insert itself as a service on anyone's computer, the application must always inform the user that it is going to do so and ask permission to do so. Failure to do so is heinous and criminal. I checked Services on my machine, and there is no service labeled Stardock Deskcape. When Desksape popped up again, after I checked and determined that it was not listed in services, I immediate uninstalled it using Revo Uninstaller to ensure that all vestiges were completely wiped out.

I also want to draw a comparison to Fences, another Stardock application. Fences starts as part of the Windows Startup group and has no service. In every way, Fences coexisted on the same computer with the same monitor timeout as Deskscape once did. For many years, I've had no problems with Fences (other than occasionally getting the title of a Fence at the bottom and difficulties in making two adjacent Fences the same height or width). Fences, on the very same computer has never cause operational issues like Deskscape.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hi LarryTX,

Rohan wants to help you.  He was only asking you to verify the Deskscape Service.

I see several applications on my system that have installed services Adobe Acrobat,  MalwareByte's, Steam and several others.  None of them explicitly asked if "I would allow the application to install a service".  Some applications install and use their own services many do not.  It's nothing to be alarmed about.

But, back to the point, you entered the forum citing alarm.  Clean your browsers out and reboot.  Many different websites and applications attempt to program the windows browsers and cause the cache and the browser's performance to become erratic over time.  It sounds to me like you have a bad js script stuck in your browser.

Also, if you are looking for help then respond to what Rohan is asking you.  Rohan never challenged what you had prior stated.  He simply indicated that he needed to know more about Deskscapes on your system.

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Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting LarryTX, reply 4

Finally and most important, if any application is going to insert itself as a service on anyone's computer, the application must always inform the user that it is going to do so and ask permission to do so. Failure to do so is heinous and criminal.

That is really not the case - you can likely look through all the services listed on your PC and see many that you were not aware were installed as a service.  There are numerous reasons for doing so and many of our other apps do run as a service (WindowBlinds, Start10, Groupy, etc).  To be honest, I wish Fences did.

That said, DS needs to have its service running to perform as expected.

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Actually, no need to do all that. I uninstalled and purged all vestiges of Deskscape from my system. Hence, I no longer have any issue. Have a good day.